GEM Boccia club was started by Georgina Elizabeth Moore (GEM) in 2017. Georgina has Arthrogryposis which is a condition which causes joint contractures or curves in the joints. For Georgina this means she is a wheelchair user and cannot weight bare. This has never stopped Georgina and she is not the type of person who likes to sit around not doing anything. She likes to stay fit and healthy and take part in swimming.

In 2016, after watching Boccia at the Rio Paralympics, Georgina decided to try the sport. Using the club finder on the Boccia England website Georgina was able to find a club in Bristol. There were no clubs in South Gloucester for Georgina to join so she decided to travel to Bristol to give the sport a go.

Immediately she loved playing because it was competitive and she felt that throwing the balls was great exercise. Georgina was loving the sport and being part of the club in Bristol but after a few months the journey was becoming too much. Georgina decided now was the time to start her own club.

With support from Access Sport, Georgina was able to start GEM Boccia Club in 2017. Working with her local sports centre and borrowing boccia balls Georgina was able to get the club up and running with 11 people attending the very first session. Tom, Georgina’s carer, completed a Boccia coaching course and the sessions quickly became meaningful and allowed members to progress their skills.

The club has people of all ages and abilities and the club ethos is “Inclusive to all”. The club regularly has non-disabled people taking part as everyone is welcome to join in and play. The numbers of people attending the club is still growing and now the club is able to provide fun sessions to a huge range of players.

This year GEM Boccia Club took part in the National Boccia League for the first time. The players all had an enjoyable day and gained a great experience from it. They are now looking forward to competing more in the future.

In 2018 GEM Boccia Club were nominated in the Boccia England awards. While they did not win the award the club were overwhelmed at being nominated and felt great to have had such a positive impact on their community.

GEM Boccia Club is now looking for more players and volunteers to help the club grow. If you would like to get involved in this club please contact Georgina on gembocciaclub@gmail.com.